Grapple



July 16, 1929. G U EL 1,721,234

GRAPPLE Filed Dec: 10, 1927 gmmto'o ea eIKKss// v Q7 Patented July 16, 1929.

I 132L234 Fries.

GEORGE W. RUSSELL, 0F BERRYVILLE, ARKANSAS.

GBAPPLE.

Application filed December 10, 1927. Serial No. 239,195.

This invention relates to grapples and has relation more particularly to a device of this kind especially designed and adapted for use in connection with drilled wells, and it is an object of the invention to provide a grapple of this kind which operates efiectively to remove rocks, piping, tools, rods, boards and the like from within a drilled well.

It is also an obj ectof the inventionto proide a device of this kind embodying jars op erating to drive down or erk loose anything which resists movement upon a straight pull.

The invention also has for an object to provide a device of this kind comprising a pair of resilient blades or springs mounted in applied or working position in a manner to permit said blades or springs to be adjusted or moved to one side to set at an angle to facilitate the release of a trigger adapted to be interposed between said blades or springs to maintain the free or working end portions thereof separated.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of'the several .parts of my improved grapple whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to de scribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a grapple constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention with the blades or springs having their outer or working eX- tremities spread apart by an interposed trigger, a second position of such parts being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, the angular osition of the blades or springs being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating in detail the means herein disclosed for connecting the upper portions of the resilient blades or springs to one of the ars;

Figure 4: is a view in bottom plan of the structure as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the trigger herein disclosed unapplied;

Figure 6 is a'view in elevation of the inner face of one of the resilient blades or springs. As disclosed in the accompanying drawmg, my improved grapple comprises twoelongated jars A and B having interconnecting elongated loop portions 1 whereby said jars A and B are capable of requisite endwise movement one with respect to the other. The outer portions of the loops 1 carry the heads or anvils 2 adapted to have contact one with the other, the head or anvil 2 of one of the loops 1 providing a guiding means for the side members of the second loop 1.

The upper end portion of one of the jars, as A, has connected thereto, as at 3, a clevis 4L- with which is adapted to be suitably coupled or hitched a cable or rope 5. The lower end portion of the jar B has its opposite faces flattened and over which are disposed the inner end portions of the elongated resilient blades'or substantially fiat springs 6. These blades or springs 6 are pivotally connected by a bolt 7 or the like with the adjacent end portion of the jar B and connectingsaid pivoted end portions of the blades or springs 6 at a point above the pivotal connection 7 is a second bolt 8 which is directed through the slot 9 provided in the lower portion of the jar B, whereby the blades or springs 6 may be swung to an angular position as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing. The lower or free end portions of the blades or springs 6 are provided in their longitudinal marginal portions with the inwardly disposed angular prongs or teeth 10,

while the lower ends of said blades or springs are provided with the inwardly directed teeth 11 adapted to intermesh when said free end portions are at the limit of their movement one toward the other, whereby the picking action of the grapple is materially facilitated.

As herein disclosed, one of the blades or springs 6 is provided with a single tooth 11 adapted to be received between a pair of teeth 11 carried by the second blade or spring 6.

A trigger T is adapted to be interposed between the lower or outer end portions of the blades or springs 6 to maintain the same separated when lowered within a drilled well to engage an obstruction, such as a rock, stick, pipe, pole, crowbar or the like. As herein disclosed, the trigger T comprises two members 12 and 14 having adjacent end portions pivotally connected, as at 15. The outer end portion of one of the members, as 12, has suitably connected thereto an end portion of a flexible member 16, the opposite end portion of which being suitably tied, as at 17, to a side member of the jar As particularly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the member 14% of the trigger T is U-shaped in cross section and an extremity of the member 12 of the trigger is received within the groove or channel thus provided in the member 14:.

The blades or springs 6 are intended to be adjusted or moved into an angular position as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2 so that said blades or springs 6 may readily pass down by the side of a pipe or the like within the well and thus permit the applied trigger T to come into contactwith said pipe and trip, whereas if said blades or springs 6 were straight with respect to the jars A and B, one of said blades or springs would be liable to strike on top of the pipe or the like and pass thereby in a manner preventing tripping of the trigger.

The blades or springs 6 serve effectually to get rocks sticks, chunks, old shoes, well buckets and the like, the teeth 10 being out so as to interlock and the teeth 11 will readily catch under and around a rock and hold it. These bottom teeth 11 will also readily takeup a bolt or anything lying fiat on the bottom of the well.

One of the blades or springs 6 is provided in its inner face with a longitudinally disposed groove 19 and with which is adapted to be engaged an extremity of one of the members 12 or 14 of the trigger T to facilitate the maintenance of the trigger in applied or working position, near the bottom of the blades or springs 6 for small objects and higher up as desired in accordance with the approximate sizes of other objects to be removed.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a grapple constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not Wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

1 claim A grapple comprising a member, spring blades, means for connecting said blades to the member, said blades having angularly disposed teeth, a trigger adapted to be interposed between the blades for maintaining the same separated, said blades having swinging movement with respect to the member, and means for holding the same against such swinging movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiixmy signature.

GEORGE W. RUSSELL. 

